Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-05-06
JUDGING HORSES AT FAIRS.
From Maine Horse-Breeders' Monthly.

IL
"Favoritism. ancestry. blood relation.
all these have no place today in the Judges
circle. Because an animal is closely re-
lated to some great performer it does not
prove that he or she has merit. The
worth of the individual must be the cri-
terion at our agricultural exhibitions. and
to secure tins judges will have to be
obliged to put themselves on record bv
means of the scale and score card" In
IA competition between old stations. vet
Grams in the stud, it is well enough to al
low their get and their breeding TO be
taken into consideration. Horses of eel
ebrity are drawing cards at fairs and
would not be sent unless they were to be
allowed credit for past achievements. 1t
Is not so much what they are today as
what they have been that counts. But
with colts. we repeat that the ideal syS-
tenn would be to have the Judges in total
ignorance of the pedigree and relation
snip of the youngsters. and pass upon
their individual merits as they stand be-
fore them, and without the aid of Il cat
alogue. Thus obscure sires might come
into deserved prominence. and some of
the glory be subtracted from more fash
ionablc stations. Walace's scale of
points, in which as much is allowed for
pedigree and performance a. for what is
called structure" which means the colt
himself, has met with a little favor, but
will soon become obsolete. 1t j. absurd
on its face. At the Horse Show last week
we talked with experts from all over the
country on this point, and found no diff
erence of opinion.
FRIEND THOMPSON Il was much sur
prised when ! took up the Turf, Field e
Farm and read the above articles on iudg-
ing horses and colts at fairs. rs had al
ways thought them Il staunch advocate
of pedigree. Now have. through the
press and in many hot arguments for the
past ten years. advocated that each and
every horse and colt should be Judged on
their own merits, and not have credit for
their relations time. Seven years ago the
committee on horses at Lewiston were
not made up. and Mr.. Kicker wished me to
act. told him that Mr.. Geo. Bishop of
New York was on the ground. and if he
would consent to serve with me. would
serve. All the books were given to Dr.
Bailey with the understanding that if
Bishop and myself agreed, no third par
ty should have anything to say; that we
were not to know the pedigree of any
animal exhibited or anything else, but to
decided on merit entirely. We vert
through the different classes. and i'm no in
stance did we disagree. Irecolect in the
two-year-old class of geldngs, when we
selected the first prize colt. DR.. Bailey
says. "Gentlemen. that colts father was
the meanest horse that ever wore
shoes" Our answer was. ''Dr. Bailey. j.
this the best colt of the lot as he shows: =
The DIR. says. 'Of course he is. but he has
no breeding" What makes the troub lc
is favoritism. and Judges being selected
from Il class of men that have made mon
ey in other business, and perhaps are
breeding few colts from some fashion
able strain of blood. such men cam
not see much unless. it is in some colt
that is blood relation to theirs. Ii these
same men wanted to buy a horse, they
would have to employ some expert to eX-
anime him and show them il he was
sound. &c. Now what we want j. horse
men that are in the market buying and
selling. They know what will sell and
they know that horse has got to show
for himself in the market. Pedigree is
not worth one cent in selling road horse
to a sensible road driver. In talking
with candid man about showing colts
at fairs, he suggested that the society
should engage two good runners that
were used to running with colts, and have
them take each colt entered. at the stable
door and show them. Have no Judges
know the owner, or the colts pedigree,
but have them decide upon merit alone.
| have always advocated points to Judge
from, which think is essential | think
if we could have horsemen to Judge, and
those judges not to know who the colts
belonged to, and nothing about their ped
igree, there would be less kicking at the
awards.
+. l.. NORCROss.
Eparnonpbt Farm